A Message from President Haynes on the Cocos Fire

Summary

CSUSM President Karen Haynes shares her appreciation to the campus community and first responders after the Cocos Fire, which burned nearly 2,000 acres and destroyed 40 structures in the communities around CSUSM, and led to a five-day campus closure, cancellation of final exams and postponement of Commencement Ceremonies.

Chief McManus and President Haynes assess the hillside burned by the Cocos Fire

Chief McManus and President Haynes assess the hillside burned by the Cocos Fire

Over the last several days our campus community experienced and watched as devastating wildfires took their toll on our community. Fortunately, our campus only received minor secondary damage. We reopened today and are rapidly preparing for the rescheduled commencement ceremonies on May 24 and 25.

I am very proud of how our entire campus community responded to this crisis situation - from our orderly evacuation to the tireless dedication of our emergency operations personnel. As a campus, our training and preparation allowed us to ensure the safety of our campus community, make critical decisions and provide timely and frequent updates. Once again our campus community demonstrated the unique spirit that makes us Cal State San Marcos.

We are especially grateful for the eight military Sea Hawk helicopters and the Cal Fire DC 10 Air Tank that flew over our hills making drops of flame retardant and water; and to the firefighters and police from so many other districts who came together to fight these fires. Their efforts ensured the safety of our campus and saved so many homes and businesses in our surrounding community.

Over the coming weeks our region will continue to recover from these horrific wildfires. Our campus will serve as a resource to help aid and facilitate that effort.